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The ginger Sew Along: Adjustable Straps.

Monday, August 13, 2012

If you haven't done so already, you can go a head and stitch up your side seams. Depending on how you want to finish your elastic, you may want to leave 1" open at the neckline on 1 side seam, or when we get there, you can just overlap your elastic, like I will be doing.

Like for any strap, you are going to cut a long strip of fabric. My sliders are 1/2" sliders, so I cut a piece of fabric that was 2" wide. 1/2" seam allowance on either side + 1/2" x2 for my actual strap. The total length should be about 45".

Right sides together, I serged my strip into a long tube. Using a safety pin, I turned it inside out.

Then I divided my tube into 4 parts - 2 2" pieces, and 2 roughly 18-20" pieces (if your straps will be stretchy like mine, I recommend cutting them on the smaller side)

Using a light iron, press your strip flat (Careful not to singe your spandex!). Stitch your tubes onto the o-rings and sliders. Back Tack, or bar tack these in place. Loop your long strip through the o-ring, and weave it through your slider.

Right sides together, baste the strap onto the front and the back. I put mine at the peak of the the cup in the front, and at the side back seam in the back. Be careful not to twist your strap! This is very important because next we will be applying our elastic and you really won't want to be picking those stitches out (trust me, I have done, and will continue to do this!).

Strap Alternative #1: If you do not want this style of strap, sew two long tubes, any desired width, and about 20" long, baste them to the front only, tie behind the neck, and Voila! - halter straps.

Strap Alternative #2: Sew 4 tubes, 20" long each, any desired width. Baste one on the peak of each cup, and one at each side back seam - tie the straps at the shoulder and turn under the ends. Bow-straps!